Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following news that President Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on all foreign-made cars, light trucks and some auto parts including some engines and transmissions shipped into the United States, measures that “will disrupt supply chains and most likely increase prices for American consumers significantly” according to The New York Times, Melissa Morales, Founder and President of Somos Votantes, reacted with the following statement:
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‍“Trump’s cost-raising tariffs are only creating more uncertainty for our economy and are going to lead to more economic instability for Latino communities. Latinos are rejecting the disastrous Trump agenda of putting the wealthiest ahead of hardworking families. Our latest polling found that Trump’s economic agenda is deeply unpopular with Latino voters — 60% of Latino voters said they strongly disapprove of these tariffs. The cost of living is simply too high, whether we’re talking about groceries, housing, or buying a car or truck. This trade war will only make things worse, paying for more tax cuts for Trump and his billionaire friends whilst driving up costs for hardworking Latinos who are already feeling the strain.”

“President Trump campaigned on a promise to be a leader who would lower costs—everything he’s done so far has made the economy weaker and working families worse off. This is the latest example of the President ignoring the needs of Latino working families.”‍

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This month, Somos Votantes released the first post-election poll on Latino voters, providing the earliest and most comprehensive insights into how this pivotal voting bloc perceives the Trump administration and economy in the wake of the 2024 election. Key findings include:
 

• Economic concerns dominate voter priorities, with 67% rating the U.S. economy as poor and only 14% saying they live comfortably. The cost of living is by far the top concern (50%), followed by healthcare, jobs, and retirement security.
• Trump’s economic record is a major liability – 63% believe he prioritizes the wealthy over working families, and his handling of the economy has a net -13 disapproval rating.
• Trump’s economic agenda is unpopular – including majorities who strongly disapprove of Musk’s DOGE (60%), Trump’s tariffs agenda (60%), and tax cuts for the wealthy (60%). 
• Large majorities of Hispanic/Latino voters rate the U.S. economy as poor, and few believe it is improving. Roughly two-thirds of Hispanic/Latino voters say the economy today is poor (67% negative/poor, 30% positive/good, net -37), and most believe the economy is getting worse (53% worse, 23% staying the same, 20% getting better). As we’ve seen in other similar research among general voters, attitudes towards local economies are slightly less negative (58% negative, 37% positive, net -21).
• There is little separation between how Hispanic/Latino voters rate Trump’s handling of the presidency overall vs. his handling of the economy – with both net negative. By nearly equal margins Hispanic/Latino voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance (43% approve, 54% disapprove, net -11) and his handling of the economy (41% approve, 54% disapprove, net -13).
• Hispanic/Latinos’ financial situation is not comfortable; Rising costs and affordability dominate Hispanic/Latino voters’ top economic concerns, though financial, job, and retirement security also break through as concerns. A majority of Hispanic/Latino voters make just enough to meet expenses or have problems meeting them (31% and 28% respectively), with only 14% saying they live comfortably. When asked to rank the top three economic issues that drive the most concerns, half of Hispanic/Latino voters say affording basic expenses and keeping up with the rising cost of living (50%). None of the other issues come close to this level of broad concern, however, other related issues are grouped closely together in a second tier – including, being able to financially provide for those that depend on me (26%), affording the cost of health care (25%), finding and keeping a good paying job (23%), being able to retire comfortably and with dignity (22%), and having the opportunity to succeed and get ahead (21%).
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You can learn more about the poll results here.

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About Somos Votantes

Somos Votantes is a Latino-led, Latino-focused organization that runs some of the largest independent Latino civic and voter engagement programs in the country. We envision a nation where hardworking Latinos have the opportunities and tools to fully participate in our democracy. Somos Votantes seeks to empower hardworking Latinos in shaping the future of our democracy, primarily through non-partisan civic engagement programs, by increasing our participation in elections and advocating for progressive policies.

Visit https://www.somosvotantes.com/ for more information on this program and other projects, and follow the organization on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

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